Sotera
Sotera (died EC 790) was Queen of Iphazia from EC 779-790, by virtue of her marriage to King Malphasus. She plotted and carried out Malphasus' assassination in EC 790 with her lover - and Malphasus' borther - Crethon, Duke of Phakra. Sotera was killed in the same year by Queen Ziane's allies, notably Vailos, Zeef and Tibo. Sotera's true name was Garaea. She and her sister Vetrassa were exiled from Valona for practising witchcraft. Under the guise of Sotera, a Valonian noblewoman, Garaea travelled to Iphazion, where she used her powers to bewitch her way into Iphazian high society. At the time of her arrival in Iphazion in EC 770, the king's brother Crethon was Arch Protector. Crethon had recently captured a Narkori visitor named Orgo. Intrigued at the prospect of meeting this Narkori - a race well known to witches for their powers of prophesy - Sotera seduced Crethon and began to learn from his captive. Orgo's visions informed Sotera that the Taktrom Sultanate was in possession of a new Paladium. Around the same time, King Malphasus appointed Crethon as Duke of Phakra, and Jelad as the new Arch Protector of Iphazion. Sotera bewitched Jelad, using his power and influence to arrange the theft of the Paladium from the Taktrans in EC 771. She then spent several years trying to understand how to exploit its powers; during this time Jelad and his associate Kimon used the Paladium to turn their sons Paladius and Vailos into paladins. In EC 778, Jelad's wife Almetta committed suicide after learning of her husband's affair with Sotera. Sotera ceased her liasons with Jelad, but continued to manipulate him with magic that rendered him sick and lame should his disobey her commands. Unbnownst to anyone else, Paladius overheard Almetta and Jelad's final exchange, and recognised Sotera as an evil deceptor. Although she continued her relationship with Crethon, ultimately she sought control of the kingdom - so in EC 779 Sotera used her powers to spook Queen Ashtea's horse. The stallion charged over a cliff edge, and the queen was killed. A year later - thanks in part to an introduction from Crethon - Sotera married the widowed King Malphasus, becoming Queen. In EC 781, Sotera gave birth to her first son, Phoas; then Bothos followed in EC 783. Whether it was for love, or some other diabolical motive, Sotera sought to rule alongside Crethon, not Malphasus. If Malphasus died, she would rule until Phoas came of age; if she remarried her husband would rule with Phoas as heir. Sotera and Crethon began devising a plot for Malphasus' murder. Before they hatched their plan, however, Crethon embarked upon a military campaign against Ikovia in EC 788. This involved sending his army through the dangerous Iryzel's Vale, a forest notorious for its Nylor population, rendering it effectively impassable. Sotera has discovered that the Paladium could be used to impact Nylor behaviour - employing this power, Crethon's army moved unimpeded through the Vale, launching a surprise attack against the Ikovian cpaital, Kovar. The Ikovians was vanquished, and after personally slaying King Hyzull, Crethon was crowned King of Ikovia at the beginning of EC 790. A month later, King Malphasus (and Sotera) were invited by Crethon to Kovar to celebrate the annexing of Ikovia. Upon arrival, Crethon killed Malphasus and all the loyal members of his entourage, bar a few that escaped into the Vale. Only one made it through to the other side, a Protector named Gevas, who took the news of Crethon's trechery to Iphazion. He was unaware of Sotera's complicity, in fact, he reported that she had been killed too. Upon hearing this news, Paladius made a fateful decision. In order to prevent Sotera assuming power - whom he assumed was behind the assassination - Paladius put Phoas and Bothos to the sword. No one in Iphazion thought for a moment the queen was a traitor - they assumed the Duke had had the princes to clear his own path to the throne. With this act, Paladius lost his powers. Crethon and Sotera had, however, anticipated that Ziane, daughter to Malphasus and his late wife Ashtea, might be a threat. So they dispatched a force to capture her as she travelled between Calvon and Iphazion. Paladius predicted that she might be in danger, so he sent Vailos, Zeef and Tibo to Ziane's aid. They succeeded in the rescue, and Ziane took the throne. Crethon and Sotera attacked Iphazion directly, using mercenary giants from the Gold Hills, a dominated Linnorm minion from the icy Ikovian mountains, as well as the Ikovian army itself. They even attempted to send an elite force through a secret tunnel known to Crethon from his Protector days. They were repelled by Vailos, Zeef and Tibo in the tunnel; and the main army was destroyed by an emerald dragon - beleived to have been an intervention by Narkora. Category:Mortals